A solar air heater captures solar irradiance and uses it to heat air. Conventional solar air heaters comprise a glazing, an absorber, an insulation back sheet, and a frame which is used to house or otherwise secure these components into a unitary structure having an air inlet and an air outlet. Solar air heaters are used in commercial and industrial applications, such as space heating and industrial process heating. Air enters through the air inlet, is heated by heat transfer from the absorber to the airflow, and exits through the air outlet. Conventional heaters use a glazing which is made from glass. The absorber is a sheet metal coated by an absorbing material, such as TiNOX. The frame is fabricated from sheet metal or wood.
The disclosed modular solar air heater comprises an extruded metal frame having fingers which are used to secure a glazing, an absorber, and an insulating back sheet to the frame. The heater further comprises an active air circulation system, such as a fan, which is coupled with an air inlet of the heater. The heater has an air outlet and may further include a bypass channel to direct the airflow through the bypass channel and/or the air outlet, thus, transforming the heater into a cooler. A heating element and a cooling element may be coupled with the air outlet to further heat and cool the air through the air outlet, respectively. A photovoltaic panel may be included to provide electrical power to the heater.